Angry residents and landowners at Ntonso in the Kwabre East District of the Ashanti Region blocked the main road leading to the Abuba Quarry site Monday morning, halting all tipper trucks moving in or out.
For more than half a day, business at the quarry came to a complete standstill.
The protesters, mostly landowners and their families, accused the quarry company of preventing them from accessing and developing their legally acquired lands.
They said after selling and starting construction, the company blocked access and disrupted their activities.
“At the age of 80, I have a cocoa farm, but due to the dust from blasting by the quarry company, my cocoa has been affected,” said Auntie Grace.
“Whenever I go to the farm, I can’t even cultivate my cassava and other crops.”
Another resident, Akua Afriyie, said the quarry had destroyed farms and degraded the land.
“After all this destruction, they have barricaded the road to prevent us from accessing our farms. I have firewood on my farm, but I can’t go and collect it.”
For several hours, tipper trucks were trapped as quarry operations ground to a halt.
“They called us to come, but they didn’t tell us anything. We are demonstrating because we’ve had enough,” another resident said.
Landowners say residential development had begun with no objection from the quarry until recently.
“When the head of the family was sharing the land, wasn’t Ebenezer—one of the workers—here? He never told us about any 500-meter buffer zone,” said Ohemaa Akosua Frakomah.
But CEO of Abuba Quarry, Mr. Tachie Menson, insists the company is following the law.
“Mining regulations require a 50-meter buffer zone between the quarry and residential buildings. Blasting can cause flying rocks. If we allow people to settle too close, lives and property are at risk.”
Residents argue no such warnings were issued during land sales or construction.
“The head of the family started selling in 2021. Then one day we saw a heap of sand blocking the road. We later heard the foreman had given the land to the quarry company,” a resident said.
As tension rose, both the young and elderly marched through the streets, demanding fairness.
The Kwabre East Municipal Security Council, led by MCE Joseph Amankwah and a team of planners, toured the area to assess the situation.
“Now I’ve seen what they were talking about. The investor has blocked the way, so they can’t get to their farms. I’ve asked that he open the road. They should organise and come to the office so we can address the demands one after the other,” said the MCE.
Municipal Physical Planning Director, Jonas Kwame Bonah, said the assembly would ensure a proper buffer zone and discuss compensation.
“Some people are already developed within the buffer. We’ll engage them and work out a plan with the quarry company.”
After an emergency meeting, all parties agreed: the buffer zone would be enforced, and affected landowners would be compensated.
“The assembly has instructed the technical team to inspect the site. If lands are acquired legally, documents will be verified for compensation,” said Municipal Development Control Engineer, Abubakar Alhassan.
Asked whether she was satisfied, Ohemaa Frakomah said, “He should set aside the 500 meters as buffer and compensate us. I sold my land for about ¢50,000. If they pay us, no problem. If they don’t, we’ll act ourselves.”
The dust may be settling for now, but for Ntonso’s residents, the fight for land, safety, and survival is far from over.
Source: Mahmud Mohammed-Nurudeen
